Provisional figures issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show a small drop in workplace fatalities in Great Britain, with 228 workers losing their lives as a result of accidents/incidents at work in 2007/08 compared to 247 workers in 2006/07.
However, the annual total is the same as the average for the past five years, indicating that rates have plateaued after decades of downward movement.
HSE Chair, Judith Hackitt said, "Whilst we welcome the headline decrease in overall numbers of fatalities, there is absolutely no room for complacency as the report suggests a plateau in the overall five year trend. Great Britain's position amongst major European Union countries is in relative terms a creditable one, but none can find it acceptable that 228 people died directly as a cause of their work. After many years of improvement, it is disappointing that we are on a performance plateau."
She added that the high fatality levels in the agriculture and construction sectors, which saw 39 and 72 fatalities respectively in 2007/08, continued to be of particular concern and would be a major focus of the HSE's work priorities over the coming year.
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